California University of Pennsylvania

California University of Pennsylvania, commonly called Cal U, is a public university based out of California, Pennsylvania. It is committed to excellent education in liberal arts, professional studies, and science and technology. It strives to be a caring, diverse, and scholarly learning community. It prides itself on highly qualified faculty and staff members that are committed to assisting each student in developing positive characteristics and preparing for a rewarding career. Cal U focuses on institutional excellence, student achievement and success, and community service. The Princeton Review has consistently ranked Cal U as one of the best regional universities in the Northeast region.

California University of Pennsylvania

Cal U Global Online is an international learning community that provides opportune modern delivery of quality academic programs. The programs are delivered entirely online to enable busy students to fit their education into their schedules. Students are able to access their online courses anytime from anywhere with Internet access. Online courses are delivered via Desire2Learn, an asynchronous course management platform that features email, assignments, reading materials, discussions, chats, and web resources. Students are encouraged to complete the Global Online Orientation to gain a basic understanding of policies and procedures such as admissions, student accounts, and financial aid processes. The orientation also enables students to navigate through the course management system to understand how online courses operate. Cal U Global Online offers certificates, bachelor degrees, master degrees, and post-master certificates. Programs areas include Arabic language and culture, Spanish for business, wellness and fitness, early childhood education, sports counseling, sport management, criminology, secondary education, technology education, forensic science, legal studies, rehabilitation studies, sport psychology, nursing administration and leadership, and performance enhancement and injury prevention.

Cal U traces its history to 1852 when the town of California was established and an academy opened. In 1857, the state of Pennsylvania was divided into Normal School Districts and Millersville Normal School was the first to be recognized in 1859. In 1865, the SouthWestern Normal College of Pennsylvania was incorporated and it offered four-year programs in 1910. In 1929, the school changed its name to California State Teachers College, which was abbreviated to California State College in 1959. The school became California University of Pennsylvania in 1983 when it became a part of the State System of Higher Education. Today, Cal U educates more than 9,000 students.

Accreditation

The National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education and the Pennsylvania Department of Education accredit the academic programs at California University of Pennsylvania.

Schools Of Education

Eberly College of Science and Technology: implements a curriculum that is developed based on general and professional education components to provide a well-rounded education. It offers more than 40 programs through eight academic departments.

College of Education and Human Services: combines classroom instruction and field experiences to create a dynamic learning community. It offers more than 30 career-oriented professional certification and graduate degree programs in education and human services.

College of Liberal Arts: committed to helping students gain a solid foundation in the arts, social sciences, and humanities. Offers various programs through 11 academic departments.

School of Graduate Studies and Research: dedicated to providing opportunities and resources for students to begin and advance in their careers. It offers flexible graduate programs to accommodate students with busy schedules.

Scholarships Offered

California University of Pennsylvania offers several scholarships for students who are registered for a minimum of 12 credit hours for each semester receiving the scholarship. Scholarships include Alumni Scholarship, Athletic Training Scholarship, Barcelona Scholarship Fund, John and Helen Bewarick Scholarship Fund, Blizman Memorial Scholarship, California Dreamin’ Endowed Scholarship, Citynet Endowed Scholarship, Faculty Scholarship, Bill Hepner Scholarship, Industrial Arts and Technology Education Alumni Society Scholarship, Donnella and Dan R. Kraft Scholarship, Minor Major Memorial Award, OfficeMax Scholarship, Saludis Family Endowment, School District Scholarships, and Technology Education Department Faculty Scholarship. The university also participates in state scholarship programs and various other types of scholarships.

Financing Options

Cal U participates in various financial aid programs including the Federal Pell Grant, National TEACH Grant, Federal Perkins Loan, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG), Federal Direct Stafford Subsidized Loan, Federal Direct Stafford Unsubsidized Loan, National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent (SMART) Grant, Pennsylvania State Grant, Athletic Grant-In-Aid, Federal Direct PLUS Loan for Parents, Federal Direct PLUS Loan for Graduate Students, and Federal Work-Study. Students can also finance their education through private alternative loans and installment payment plans.

Credit Earning Options

California University of Pennsylvania awards credits for previous coursework completed at other accredited institutions of higher learning. All courses must have earned a grade of a C or better. Students may also receive credit for Advanced Placement, CLEP, and DANTES examinations. Students are able to receive a maximum of 75 credits from two-year institutions, 90 credits from four-year institutions, or 90 credits from a combination of two- and four-year institutions.